Referring to FIGS. 24 and 25, one of conventional vehicle bodies is disclosed, for example, in DE 2,006,498. FIG. 24 shows a four-door motor vehicle having front doors 1 and rear doors 3 which allow opening/closing of the sides of a vehicle body thereof. The doors 1, 3 are reinforced by tension of wires 5, 7 as long flexible members which are disposed therein in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle body.
Referring also to FIG. 25, the wire 5 of each front door 1 has one end connected to a front pillar 17 through a coupling member 25, and another end connected to the front door 1 at the rear portion thereof through a stationary bracket 26. The stationary bracket 26 has an end protruding from the door 1 and connected to a hook 27. The wire 7 of each rear door 3 has one end connected to the hook 27, and another end connected to the rear door 3 through a stationary bracket 29 which is in turn removably connected to a hook 30 of a rear pillar 21.
Connection of the stationary bracket 26 to the hook 27 is such as to ensure engagement of the wires 5, 7 in the direction of extending thereof, and easy disengagement of the wires 5, 7 by opening/closing action of the front door 1 on the front pillar 17 as a hinge center.
When a collision load is input, for example, to the front door 1 due to side collision or the like, the wire 5 has tension produced by deformation of the front door 1. This tension of the wire 5 is transmitted mainly to the front pillar 17 through the coupling member 25 on one hand, and to a center pillar 28 through the stationary bracket 26, hook 27, rear door 3, and a hinge member (not shown) for supporting the rear door 3 to the center pillar 28 on the other hand. Therefore, tension of the wire 5 which is firmly supported by the front pillar 17, center pillar 28, etc. enables absorption of collision energy, and thus restraint of inward deformation of the door 1 as viewed in the cross direction of the vehicle body.
With such known construction that all constituents of tension produced in the wire 5 operate on the center pillar 28, hinge member of the rear door 3, etc., however, not only the center pillar 28 needs a considerable reinforcement, but the hinge member should be increased in size, resulting in a possibility of a great increase in weight.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle body which enables absorption of collision energy, and thus restraint of deformation of a door without any increase in weight.